Marco

Marco carried an entire carnival on his back. Every evening the musicians played, the balloons rose, and people shouted his name as if applause could feed him. Marco never slowed down; he believed that the moment the music stopped, everyone would discover he was only a tired rhinoceros.

Then, in the middle of the grandest parade, one wheel came loose and the orchestra fell silent. Marco waited for laughter. Instead, the smallest rhino leaned against his leg and said, ‘Good.

Now I can hear you breathing.’ One by one, the others climbed down. They walked beside him for the rest of the road. Marco still loved the music, but from that day on he no longer mistook being celebrated for being loved.